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Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301

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McCarron to Discuss The Negligent Security Gameplan at Upcoming National Conference

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The Haggard Law Firm’s Douglas McCarron will be a feature presenter during The 2016 National Crime Victim Bar Association’s National Conference. The Conference will be held in Philadelphia on September 19-21 in conjunction with the National Center for Victims of Crime’s 2016 National Training Institute. The Institute brings up to 1,001 civil attorneys, victim advocates, criminal justice professionals and law enforcement officers to share their knowledge and experience across disciplines.

The training institute emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach to sharing promising practices, current research, and effective programs and policies that are victim-centered, practice-based, and research-informed. The Institute’s forum allows for law enforcement, victim service professionals, allied practitioners, policymakers, and researchers to share current developments and build new collaborations.

McCarron’s presentation: Negligent Security Case Gameplan: “Blocking & Tackling Fundamentals Mixed with Razzle Dazzle.”

This highly demonstrative and interactive presentation will highlight what every Victim’s lawyers must know presenting their Negligent Security case. In addition, with using the results of over 30 Negligent Security case verdicts and one hundred Mock trials, the presentation will cover “ Cutting Edge Strategies” that the Defense never see coming.

Since 2007, The Haggard Law Firm has litigated more than 150 negligent security/premises liability cases which have resulted in more than $350,000,000 in verdicts and settlements to our clients in those cases.

 

Haggard Law Firm Attorneys Named 2017 “Best Lawyers”

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The attorneys of The Haggard Law Firm have been selected by their peers to be included on the 2017 Best Lawyers in America  list

William ‘Andy’ Haggard, Michael Haggard, Douglas McCarron, Christopher Marlowe, Todd Michaels, Jason Brenner and Pedro Echarte were selected for their work in the Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs category.

Haggard Law’s James Blecke was selected for his exceptional appellant work.

Best Lawyers is the oldest and most highly-respected peer review guide to the legal profession worldwide. The methodology behind the per review process is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area

Congratulations to the team!

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Haggard Law Michaels To Speak During Security Professionals’ International Conference

 

The Haggard Law Firm’s Todd Michaels have been invited to speak at the 62nd Annual ASIS International Conference in Orlando next month.  ASIS International is a global community of security practitioners, each of whom has a role in the protection of assets – people, property, and/or information. The upcoming conference is the organization’s largest event of the year.

Michaels will present a seminar titled How to Avoid a Million Dollar Verdict Against Your Business and another called Duty and Consequence.

ASIS membeexhibit_main_toprs  represent virtually every industry in the public and private sectors, and organizations of all sizes. From entry-level managers to CSOs to CEOs, from security veterans to consultants and those transitioning from law enforcement or the military, the ASIS community is global and diverse. More than 20,000 industry professionals are expected to attend the conference.

 

The Haggard Law Firm has litigated more than 155 negligent security cases since 2007, delivering more than $345 million in verdicts and settlements in those cases.

Haggard Law’s Todd Michaels to Speak at 2016 Al J. Cone Trial Advocacy Institute

 

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The Haggard Law Firm’s Todd Michaels is one of the featured speakers at today’s 2016 Al J. Cone Advocacy Institute being held through Saturday in Orlando. The Institute is three days of engaging presentations and interactive workshops designed specifically for new personal injury attorneys to advance their trial skills.

 
Michaels will be part of several workshop panels discussing different elements of the trial process.  Attendees go through the entire trial process from the defense and plaintiff perspective using a case fact pattern.

 

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The event is hosted by the Florida Justice Association is dedicated to strengthening and upholding Florida’s civil justice system and protecting the rights of Florida’s citizens and consumers. FJA works in the legislative, political and public arenas to ensure that Floridians know and understand the importance of their rights to justice and to make certain that these rights, which are at the very core of what it means to be American, are safeguarded and protected.

 

 

Michael Haggard Named to 2016 Florida Legal Elite List

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Managing Partner Michael Haggard has been named to the 2016 Florida Trend  Magazine Legal Elite list. Attorneys selected to the list are chosen for recognition by their peers.

Florida Trend invited all in-state members of the Florida Bar to participate. Lawyers were asked to name attorneys whom they hold in the highest regard or would recommend to others.

Haggard is also a member of the Legal Elite Hall of Fame which is comprised of a distinguished group of attorneys who have consistently earned high rankings from their peers in the annual Legal Elite voting.

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Click here to read more about Michael Haggard

Haggard Law $1 Million Settlement in Negligent Security Case Featured in Daily Business Review

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Today’s copy of Daily Business Review has a feature on a recent $1 million settlement in a negligent security case lead by our Todd Michaels.
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Background on the case:

Opa Locka, Florida – The owners of the Top Value Supermarket in Opa Locka have agreed to a payout of $1 million to the Estate of Miguel Pilotos, who was gunned down on the property during a robbery Aug. 21, 2013.

The 71-year-old man was simply picking up groceries when he was shot at the supermarket located on Northwest 137th street and northwest 27th avenue. The crime was caught on camera. The gunman rode up to the victim’s car on a bicycle and pulled out his weapon and shot the husband and father in the neck. Pilotos, who had under $20 on him when he was killed, had been with his wife Aleida for 25 years. He emigrated from Cuba 19 years ago.

The lawyer for the Pilotos family, Todd Michaels of The Haggard Law Firm, says the crime was predictable and preventable. “At the time of his murder, Miguel Pilotos was the third Top Value customer robbed and shot and the second one killed in that parking lot, in six months” says Michaels. He adds “despite the previous crimes, and the widespread knowledge the business was located in a high-crime area, the supermarket did not alter security in the parking lot in any way.”

Common Conditions that Give Rise to a Premises Liability Case

Common Conditions that Give Rise to a Premises Liability Case

By Douglas McCarron, The Haggard Law Firm

In my experience, the most common condition in any premises liability case is the lack of guardianship of the property.  In most instances, the property owner and/or manager fails to put in place policies and procedures that ensure that the premises is kept in a reasonably safe condition.  For example, in many negligent security cases it becomes obvious that the owner and management fail to do anything that assesses violent crime occurring at the property.  Without knowing what type of crime is happening, it is nearly impossible to know what type of security measures are needed.  How can the owner make decisions about access control, manned security, and surveillance cameras, if they have failed to gather the crime statistics for the property and the surrounding area?  The answer is simple, they do not know and consequently violent crime continues to victimize the property’s guests and invitees.  In slip and fall cases, many properties fail to ensure that their employees follow the internal policies and procedures to maintain the property in a safe manner.  This leads to dangerous conditions being left on the property for an unacceptable amount of time. 

If property owners simply prepare policies and procedures for their employees to follow and have appropriate supervision to ensure that the policies and procedures are being followed, then the most dangerous conditions would cease to exist.  Obviously, financial considerations come into play for the property owners.  In developing a premises liability case, it is important to discover exactly what property owners are failing to do and why they are failing to do it.  Jurors do not appreciate property owners turning a blind eye and pleading ignorance.  Jurors also do not accept that the owners do not want to put the necessary resources (money) into the property to make it safe.

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Just today, my partner Todd Michaels, secured a $2.65 million dollar verdict in a negligent security case in Clay County, Florida.  The facts of the case demonstrated that the property knew that there was a upswing in crime at the property.  Instead of being proactive, the property owner allowed the access control gates to remain broken for over 6 months.  The property owner’s failure caused the death of our client during a burglary attempt to his sister’s home.    This is a prime example of how juries will find for a victim in light of a property owner refusing to make their property safe.

As discussed, when preparing a premises liability case, it is extremely important to go through what policies and procedures a property owner has put into place and whether they are being followed.   Just as important is why a property owner is failing to take the reasonable steps to make sure that the property is safe.   Get all written policies and procedures as soon as possible – send written discovery requesting this information with the filing of the Complaint.  Follow this with detailed depositions of management and the property employees.  Armed with this information, it will become easy to show that the property owner and/or management dug their head in the sand and were at fault for your client’s injury or death.

To learn more about the Haggard Law Firm

All Haggard Law Firm Attorneys Named to 2016 Super Lawyers List

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The Haggard Law Firm’s William Haggard, Michael Haggard, Douglas McCarron, Christopher Marlowe, Todd Michaels and James Blecke have all been named to the 2016 Super Lawyers List.

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Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.
The patented selection process includes independent research, peer nominations, and peer evaluations.
Click here for Bios of Haggard Law Firm Attorneys
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The Haggard Law Firm’s Jason Brenner and Pedro Echarte were included in the 2016 Super Lawyers Rising Stars list.
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Michaels Selected Chair of FJA Committee

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The Haggard Law Firm’s Todd Michaels has been selected as the Chair of the Florida Justice Association’s Rental Car Committee.

The Committee is responsible for drafting any proactive legislation that the FJA would like to pursue, assist staff in drafting position papers and amendments and to act as an advisory group during the state’s legislative session on issues within the expertise of its members.

Michaels is currently an FJA board member, is on the organization’s executive committee and is the Miami-Dade County Vanguard Chair .

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The FJA is dedicated to strengthening and upholding Florida’s civil justice system and protecting the rights of Florida’s citizens and consumers.

The FJA believes that all Floridians benefit when deserving individuals have a fair chance to seek justice in our state’s courts and that Florida’s consumers are made safer when large corporations and industries are held to a high ethical standard and accept fair responsibility for their actions.

FJA works in the legislative, political and public arenas to ensure that Floridians know and understand the importance of their rights to justice and to make certain that these rights, which are at the very core of what it means to be American, are safeguarded and protected.

 

 

Call For Pool Safety Standards For Cruise Industry After Young Child Nearly Drowns

An 8-year-old boy is in critical condition after nearly drowning in a pool on Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas cruise ship Thursday afternoon.

The Coast Guard said the boy had been in the water for 8 to 10 minutes before cruise officials found him, the Associated Press reports. Medical representatives performed CPR on him before a helicopter landed on the ship to take him to a hospital, company officials told Today.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family that has been changed by this tragedy. We hold public pools, community pools and private pools to high codes and industry standards across the United States. It is time for the cruise lines to be held to the same safety level” says The Haggard Law Firm’s Managing Partner Michael Haggard.

The Haggard Law Firm, has represented a number of families who’ve had to deal with significant injury or death of a loved one in drowning accidents. The Firm’s work representing victims of drownings has spurred changes in state codes and laws governing pool safety.

“The cruise lines are well aware that people come on their ships to let down their guard and take a break from everyday life. They are well aware of the dangers inherent in swimming pools and so many of their activities. The fact that basic pool safety is ignored is simply astonishing” says The Haggard Law Firm’s Todd Michaels.

The cruise industry earns nearly $40 billion* in revenue per year and it is only growing as cruise lines continue to build and sail new ships. The growth will lead to more tragedies if investments into pool safety measures and new standards are not made.

Michaels adds “cruise ships are floating cities with a thousand dangers lurking around every corner. How many people have to die or suffer serious injury before the cruise lines get serious about safety? ”

 

 

* http://www.statisticbrain.com/cruise-ship-industry-statistics/